Oh, Christmas Tree, Oh, Christmas Tree...

I can't believe it's that time of year agian! Ayesha came over this afternoon and helped trim my black and white tree. Ayesha helped me last year too so this year was funny because she knew all of the important ornaments and she remembered the ones we should hang first too!


Afterwards we made buttons for my school's holiday party. My "grade level"- music, art, and P.E. are in charge this year. We are having an ugly sweater party so the buttons said things like:
- My sweater is uglier than yours.
- Got wool?
- Yes I can...find an ugly sweater.
-Were going down to ugly town. 12.13.08
I hope everyone else enjoys the buttons as much as Ayesha and I did! I find them hillarious!

The Container Store

The Container Store

How do I love thee...Let me count the ways!

If you know me you know my passion for organization! I even love reorganizing what seems to be organized, its just who I am. I had heard about The Container Store and was very interested but when I checked online last- sometime last summer- discovered that we did not have one in AZ. I was disappointed but resigned to the fact I'd just have to wait to check it out. Last weekend Kelly alerted me that AZ did have a store! (Why does someone who lives in CA have to give me this information???)

My mom and I went to check it out today! For two plus hours we wondered and marveled at the greatness that is plastic storage containers and dreamt of the greatness that our studios could be for a mere year's salary. (Hey , if your going to dream dream BIG!)

I did resist the urge to replace every single plastic storage container that I own so that they'd all match- at least for now but did find several things I could not live without.

Decorative tape, rhinestone stickers, packing labels, stapleless stapler, space bags, plastic bubble containers, oh my!


Why do I love to have a photoshoot of everything I purchase???

Things That Made Me Silly Happy Today

1. Buying a Cabbage Patch Kid for Kakes.
This is the first and last year that I'll actually be able to post an of Kakes Christmas gift on my blog before Christmas but for this year if she sees it she will just say, "baby" and go about her business. We were recently at a birthday party for one of our toddler friends who received a Cabbage Patch Kid. Kakes loved the "baby" so much that, combined with the love for Cabbage Patch Kids that Buffy and I have, I knew I had to get one for her! I was originally disappointed because I found out that they were recommended for ages 3 and up, but as silver linings would have it the preemie babies are made for littler girls and were also on sale for $10 at Walmart this morning! Yes, I went to Walmart early this morning but spent longer in line than getting this baby and it made me happier than I could ever have imagined. :)


2. Finding these retro santa, hedgehog, and owl stamps for $2.50 each completely by accident on my way to the restroom at Walmart.
You know you love them!

3. Exploring new Hambly products onlie this morning!
You have to treat yourself too!

4. Recieving this oh so cool package in the mail!



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I've decided to very slowly clean out my home studio, I want to rearrange some things and make a little library space in my house. Interested in seeing what I'm getting rid of??? See my ebay! :)
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Just a little note also to say that the medicine I've been taking worked well and is now leaving my system- both of which I'm thankful for. I'm hopeful that I'll continue to get stronger. Mom's helping me "train" to be ready for work by Monday by taking me out on short shopping trips per my request. A little retail therapy can't be so bad afterall. :)

A Gangter Rap Thanksgiving Wish

What you need to do is be thankful for the life you got, you know what I'm sayin'.

Stop lookin' at what you ain't got, start being thankful for what you do got.
-T.I. Live Your Life

Today I was lucky to spend time resting and feasting with Jim, Mom, Buffy, Kakes, and Seth. I have a lot to be thankful for and today some of those things included sharing our first Thanksgiving dinner with Kakes (she was out of town last year on Thanksgiving.), painting fingernails with Buffy, hanging out with Mom, and sleeping on Jim after dinner.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Cleaned Up Pen Box

I was so excited today when I cleaned up my new pen box today and discovered that it was large enough to hld not only my loose pens but those in packages as well!

Here is the old cool but cramped pen box.



And the new and improved pen box! All pens in...



Pens in boxes out to get to loose pens!


Yes, this $3 box does make me this happy!

Visiting Flastaff

Jim and I headed up to Flagstaff this weekend for our anniversary and a little needed R and R. We like to stay at Arizona Mountain Inn. It is a group of rustic cabins that are close enough to Flagstaff to go into town for supplies, food, and fun but still feel like you are miles away from everything.


We had a fun time playing cards, watching the fire, and just having lots of time to hang out together. Of course we did take a computer with us, we can never be too far from the internet :), and we went into town for a couple of hours on Saturday. Jim always humors me and takes me to the shops I loved when I was in college.

I found this super cool marker box at Goodwill for $3! Just wait for it to be clean you'll see its greatness.


And I bought a few pieces of paper at Zani Futon.


I had lots of time to work on my Christmas journal too!



We had a great time!

A little Idea I Drempt Up

How's this for a Thanksgiving idea? I made these buttons for my family members, Deb, and Ayesha. I took an image of each of their favorite Thanksgiving foods and stamped their name on it. Here was my though, Deb, Ayesha, and I can wear them to work the week before Thanksgiving to get the kids talking :) and also on Thanksgiving day just for fun. I also though they would be good pinned to napkin rings as place cards and souvenirs all in one. Really they were just fun to make!


How did I make these you ask??? I AM SO SPOILED THAT'S HOW! Tomorrow is our 4 year anniversary and my boy Jim knows some girls melt for diamonds and some just want cool art tools!


When my button maker arrived earlier this week he let me open it early! I even made his anniversary card with it! Shhhhhh! Don't tell :) I plan to wear the more button after he gives me the card to file just to rub it in a little it will make him crazy! He insists that he loves me more because boys are bigger and can love more:)

Christmas Journal

I've spent some time working in my Christmas Journal. Pictures can not do this journal justice! It is so much cooler in person but I love it and have to show you what I've added! All of the pages pictured are now done. :)

"Shopping" At Mom's House

I've been having fun working in my Christmas memories journal but felt like I needed to go shopping for some "stuff" today. My mom was up for the adventure too but told me I should come look through her things first and then we would go to the scrapbook store. After I went "shopping" through her supplies we decided we should go to the bookstore instead!


I'm excited to add these things to my Christmas journal!

My mom also had the best tape storage idea ever! She bought us these pants hangers that she found at Ross to store all of our tape! Not only can you see all of the choices without sorting through bags and boxes but you can cut tape off without taking it off the holder! Go Mom!

The Beginning Of Something Exciting

Hooray For School Hiolidays!

I love being off school midweek! It is especially fabulous because my most difficult day got canceled and I was able to stay up late and make Kake's Halloween book!

ABC ATCs

I finished up four more letters for my ABC ATC swap yesterday afternoon. Yippee!

I is for inspiration board. I took a photo of my own inspiration board and had it printed as a wallet. I added it to a grungy looking background paper and added clear tape and metallic tape.


J is for journal. I shrunk down one of my journal pages on a color copy machine and added metallic tape.


K is for Kwik Kut. Kwik Kut is that soft white carving material you carve into to make your own stamps. I carved a stamp, printed it and embelished.


Despite what you are thinking L is not for love (it's not an art related item) but for liquid watercolor. I used liquid watercolor dyed paper towels for a background and them added "leftovers" to embelish.